Distubed kitty

Question
QUESTION: My mom died in april of this year and i inherited her giant loving male chocolate point himalayan... He will randomly stare that thin air and meow, Or cry and get upset at shut doors, especially if you are on the other side of them... He was there when she died and in the house with her for at least 5 hours b4 they founf her... She got him from a boyfriends boss that was having a baby, he was scared of ppl when we got him and covers in those kitty clump knot things, It seemed like he was funiture to them and not a member of the family, Mom had him for 2 years and he turned into a real life teddybear, Cuddly and loving... It worries me when he meows for no reason, he can be in a room by him self or right in front of you staring at a wall or thin air... Do you have any idea whats wrong with him and how i can help?

ANSWER: Hi
I'm sorry sorry to hear about your mother and also about your cats story.
I truly belive that cats grieve too and that is probably what is happening to your cat now. However i would take him for a medical at the vets just to be on the safe side to rule out any medical condition first.
Apart from that your cat needs lots of love and attention and also stimuli to keep him occupied. His following you around is na sign of some distress and a lack of confidence, what he needs is something new and interesting in his life to draw his attention away from his anxiety. This could be in the form of more interactive toys like climbing trees and scratching posts or hiding little bits of kibble inside toys that he has to try and get out. Or if your circumstances allow even another pet although this does very much depend on the cats nature and if they get on well with other animals, if they don't then it could make the situation worse this is very much for you to decide.
I'm afraid their is no easy answer to this apart from doing what I'm sure you are already and providing him with a secure safe home with lots of love and attention.

Best wishes

Kate
http://www.our-happy-cat.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey,
Sorry i didn't mention it b4 but his name is Fella.. And i do have another cat in the house, My female Himalayan... They get along great... at first they were figuring out who was boss, but now they are fine... i do have a question about her tho:
I have a 1 year old female Himalayan cat, She is fixed and declawed in
the front... When i got her she was 7 weeks old and you could pick her
up and sit her somewhere and she would just sit there in that one stop
and not move, As she got older she is very very skittish and twitches
allot, She will only let me touch her with my feet, she also pees on my
recliner, bed and clothing... She freaks out randomly and runs around
crazy
like, She see things that aren't there and twitched and ducks and runs
from the imaginary things... She sometimes act as if she was a wild
stray... However that is not the case.. I got her from a breeder in
Louisiana that was giving some away for free b/c they said they had
TOO MANY,
Then i moved here to TN and her behavior did not change... When she
twitches and see's things its not like a regular kitten playing, It's
like
someone would be on drugs having a bad trip... Do you have any idea
what's going on with her? Or what i could do to help her? I have
thought
about trying the Kitty Calm Down that they have at the pet store...
But i
don't want to just drug her if there is an solution...
The herbal remedy "Rescue Remedy" was recommended to me...

The kitties name is Charity and I'm kinda iffy about herbal remedies...
Especially in her case... B/c this product would have to have a big
punch to it for it to work on her... You'd have to see her to know how
serious this problem is with her... She runs from everyone, When you hold
her she acts like you are trying to kill her... and reaally does see
things... and i have had her for a year and a half, surrounding her with
love and comfort in a calm home... We spoil her greatly... Yet she
still acts this way... my older brother thinks that maybe she was
inbred... My grandmother says she has a screw loose or there were drugs around
her... I'm kinda wondering what can make a kitty act this way... Like
I've worried that it would be a brain tumor or something... Thats just
me assuming the worst... But what could cause an animal to act this way?
It's not just a little thing like being scared of the doctor or a
thunderstorm... So I'm scared a herbal remedy wont do the trick... I'd be
willing to try it but only if you reaaly think its strong enough to
reallly work... B/c we don't have any money to waste just starting out... I
do have another cat in the house, I have had him since April... My mom
died and i inherited her male chocolate point Himalayan, He's a sweet
heart but he is grieving... They get along very well, she acted this way
long b4 he came... Sometimes she sits and watches him jump in our laps
for affection like she is waiting for something bad to happen to him,
like she cant figure out why he would get that close to us... She
follows me around when im not looking and i wake up and find her next to me
at night, but if she realize im awake she runs away.. And when she
follows, it is at a a very safe distance, like at least 6 feet between
us... I have brought her to a Vet for a check up a and they said she is
perfectly healthy, and i got all of her shots, She may be a little over
weight now but other than that she is fine... I don't think they did
blood work on her tho.. I will look into that and keep you posted... Like i
said b4 its like she is a wild cat... But she has been pampered and
safe and loved since she was 7 weeks old..."  

Answer
HI
well what can i say, it really does sound like a difficult question to answer especially if you say she has been seen by the vet. My first thought was that she may have a skin allergy or be allergic to something as the skittish twitching and running around reminded me of my cat who would go crazy every now and then and would start to twitch and run round like a mad thing. It turned out that she is allergic to flea bites and it only takes one to find her and give her a nip and it starts her off.
My second thought was that maybe she had a neurological problem, but I'm not even sure if vets can do much about this or how they would diagnose.
Apart from that i really cannot advise further, in extreme cases where you think it is behavioral rather than physical their are cat behaviorists who can come and visit the cat and their environment, sometimes it really is like being a detective to find out the causes of some strange behavior.
Sorry i cannot be of more help

Kate